Trespassing | ongoing

Chapter 22. A Hero's End (pt.1)

[a/n]: sorry for the wait, my inspiration was dead until just recently, but hey at least it's here now?? :) tbh I don't think this is my best work, I feel like this is kinda falling apart but I have a great idea for the ending, so bear with me until we get there haha

Chapter 22. A Hero's End (pt.1)

Our boots crunch the twigs below our feet, the mud and damp leaves sticking to our shoes. The weather is peaceful, being cloudy and drizzling rain. It is almost as if it's the calm before the storm, both literally and figuratively. We are on our toes, keeping hidden under the tall brush and remaining out of sight. As we walk over to the hunters' domain, I clear my throat to point out some questionable ideas.

"So, if we're telling the hunters about your brother, what's going to stop them from killing you before you get the chance to get a word out?" I quiz, my eyebrows knitting together.

"Um... let's just hope I can talk fast?"

"Oh, that's reassuring," I sarcastically remark.

He laughs, "Clove, I am going to be just fine. I've lasted this long, haven't I? Just trust me."

I bit the inside of my cheek in anxiety.

"Okay, look I need to tell you a couple of things and I need you to not talk until I get this all out," I blabber abruptly.

"Sure, go ahead," he grins as we continue our journey.

"Everett... I don't think -- no, I know -- that I wouldn't be alive without your help. I cannot even begin to repay you for how you have helped me out. And I am really grateful for all this time we have had together, but I... what's going to happen when this is all over? When you don't have to be secluded out here anymore, when there are no hunters after you, and we go back to reality?"

"Clo--"

"I'm not finished yet," I cleared my throat, "You have made me feel things I didn't know I could feel. You've made me happy and showed me how to survive, and what it's like to have someone care. These two months have been extraordinary."

My eyes start to well up with tears and I stop walking, urging Everett to do the same. He reaches a hand out to my arm and sends me a concerning look.

"I don't want to never see you again once this is all over..." I murmur brokenly.

He shakes his head at my words, "Hey, I won't let that happen."

His hands rest on either side of my face, his thumb wiping away the tears that fell.

"You're my girl..." he whispers with a handsome grin.

My heart drops into a pile of butterflies at the bottom of my stomach, my pulse dancing at his soothing words. I laugh nervously and curl a strand of my hair behind my ear, my face heating up. He places a gentle kiss to my lips and sends me a reassuring wink before we continue walking.

"I like being your girl," I whispered more to myself than to him.

He heard me anyway, a pleased smile finding his lips in response.

Soon enough, we arrive on the outskirts of the hunters' domain. Charles' cabin, the one burned to a crisp when his wife dropped the lighter, is the only cabin unprotected. However, there are two men sitting on rusty lawn chairs in front of the other two cabins that are still standing, rifles resting on the shoulders of the guards. Everett scoffs under his breath as we witness another set of goons marching back and forth the sides of the cabin, as if they were guarding a palace.

"Pretentious asshats," he whispers and I can't help but snort in amusement.

Everett reaches for something on the pocket of his jacket, retrieving a small pistol with a silencer clipped to the barrel. He crouches further into the muddy slope we are hidden behind, rests his arms flat against the ground, and aims for the matching pair on the left side of the cabin. Everett inhales deeply and curtly pulls the trigger.